All I would say to that is that not all Mary Sues are created equal. Just throwing together a character with an unusual number of talents is nothing to surprise anybody, certainly, but some people go way, way overboard to the point where just calling it a pet peeve doesn't quite cover the problem.
For example, in our ST simm we have a 24-year-old character who in addition to being a gorgeous multi-hyphenate genius is a senior lieutenant and Chief of Science. She speaks half a dozen languages, her Ph.D thesis was a mathematical proof describing the probability of God's existence (which of course she can't describe) and her sole 'weakness' is that she has limited social skills, which of course makes her so much more relatable.
It all might be forgiven if the player knew much about science, wrote exceptionally well or even posted often. Instead many of us spend a lot of time writing around the character. Considering that our ship is intended to be a science vessel, it isn't especially enjoyable. If there weren't several good writers around to make up for him, the simm probably wouldn't be worth the trouble.
But this is what most people would call a classic Mary Sue. It isn't just about multi-colored eyes or a pet unicorn. There are certain personality characteristics such players seem to possess in common - born out of what I assume is egocentrism or narcissism - that eventually lead to frustration, resentment and misunderstandings. They don't want to share a plausible reality; they need a reality that accomodates an implausible conception. Sorry, but I can't blame any GM for regarding that as a red flag.
> On 4/2/12, Taryn Noelle <miss_taryn_noelle@...> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > My name is Taryn and I've been lurking here for a while watching the ads go
> > by. I realize I am late to this discussion, but after reading the *many*
> > posts about it I wanted to say a few things.
> >
> > I've been writing in the role-play universe for over a decade as both list
> > owner and member. I know grammar, I know how to spell, and I feel that the
> > characters I have created and written in the universes I have played in
> > (sci-fi, sci-fi erotic, medieval Master/slave scenarios, one on one romance)
> > are interesting to read and play off of. But after reading all of the things
> > that annoy people I must say that I would be reticent to join *any* list at
> > this point because I am certain I have done some of the things that annoy
> > people. I'm sure that any neophyte players must be petrified by now.
> >
> > That being said I would like to say that there is a difference between "red
> > flags" and "pet peeves". Red flags are things that can be a detriment to all
> > players and thus, the story and finally, the list group as a whole.
> >
> > The biggest red flag in a world where people are writing is, people who
> > can't write. I've seen a lot of ads come through here asking for experienced
> > writers and demanding writing samples by people who themselves have
> > misspelled the ad! That tells me (as an experienced writer), the level of
> > experience and expertise on that list. Yes, we all make typos, but when I
> > see the same word misspelled over and over in an ad, that is someone who
> > can't spell and neglected to go over things with a spell checker.
> >
> > Another thing is characters who vanish, either with or without extensive
> > bios. Unfortunately a list owner won't know a player is a flake until this
> > happens. It has happened on a few of my lists. All I could do is refuse to
> > take back said player.
> >
> > Everything else I've seen in the messages I've read (I haven't read them
> > all) is pet peeves of individual list owners:
> >
> > Characters who have odd name spellings / characters who have mythical
> > creature companions / characters who are invincible / characters who are
> > Mary-Sue / characters whose character name and handle are the same /
> > characters whose skill-set and history don't match / characters with sappy
> > backstories / characters with vague backstories / crossover characters /
> > characters with dual-colored eyes / the list goes on.
> >
> > These are NOT red flags. I mean, dual-colored eyes. Really??? If you can
> > SPELL and write an engaging story I couldn't care less what color your eyes
> > are.
> >
> > I agree that invincible/too powerful/all powerful characters are no fun to
> > play off unless everyone is like that, but again, that is just my own
> > personal preference.
> >
> > Me, I've used the same character name and handle - doesn't mean I'm stuck on
> > myself. It just means I like the damn name. RP *is* wish-fulfillment to much
> > extent. For some it's ability. For others it's an eye color. For me it's a
> > name. We're all Mary-Sues too. Some people are more MS than others. Again it
> > comes under wish-fulfillment which is what much of RP is.
> >
> > In my own experience, lists made up of 10 or less people are the most
> > successful, especially if all the writers were friends in the first place
> > because they are generally all into the same genre/fandom and they all have
> > the same goals.
> >
> > I think these ads are wonderful, but courting strangers is the reason all
> > these pet peeves are coming out because when someone creates a list, that is
> > their universe and they have specific ideas of what they want to happen in
> > their universe. Most strangers can never live up to what the list owner
> > desires.
> >
> > My advice, for what it's worth and you can all take it with a grain of salt:
> > look at the writing quality first, reliability second. Everything else can
> > be worked out. Good writers are worth their weight in gold in the RP world.
> > If you get a good one, keep them :)
> >
> > Taryn
> > :)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
>
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